Readers’ Perception of Newspaper Coverage of Militancy in the Niger Delta,
Abstract
The study investigated readers’ perception of newspaper coverage of militancy in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Data was generated from a sample of 308 respondents drawn from three different locations across three Nigerian states in the Niger Delta using proportional stratified sampling from a population of 1,856. A 28-item self developed questionnaire was used as the research instrument, while the Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was used to establish the reliability which stood at 0.81. The results indicate that newspaper reports equipped readers sufficiently in identifying the dominant issues involved in militancy; readers perceived the coverage as satisfactory; there is no significant relationship between newspaper reports and escalation of militancy in the Niger Delta. It was recommended among others that journalists covering militancy should be adequately trained in investigative and interpretative reporting. This is important in order to give the reader all sides to the issue at stake.